These girl and boy pirate cakes, together with stolen treasure minis, are so much fun to create – you could hide them around the party venue and set the kids off on a treasure hunt to find them!
1 For the faces, roll out the flesh-coloured pastes to 3mm (1⁄8in) thick using spacers. Use a no. 6 circle cutter to cut a mixture of nine discs.
2 While soft, impress a smile on each face using the open end of the piping tube (tip) and indent at either end with a cocktail stick (toothpick).
3 For two headscarves, roll out the red or pink paste to medium thickness and use the no. 6 circle cutter to cut a circle, then cut in half. Cut across the bottom of each semicircle and smooth the edge.
4 For one headscarf tie, use the heart cutter to cut a red or pink heart, then cut in half lengthways. Pinch the curved part of each half. Attach together to one side of the scarf. Add a small ball of paste to the join.
5 For the spots, use the mini circle plunger cutter to cut lots of white paste circles, then gently flatten with your finger so that they are all slightly softened and different sizes. Attach to the scarf.
6 For the eyes, roll small balls of white paste, flatten slightly and attach two to the girls’ faces and one to the boys’ faces. Use the mini circle plunger cutter to cut black paste pupils for each, or roll tiny balls and flatten slightly. Use a black edible pen to add eyelashes to the girls’ eyes.
7 For the noses, roll small balls of flesh-coloured paste and attach.
8 For the girls’ ears, roll a small ball of flesh paste, then impress a hollow with the small end of the ball tool. Cut in half and glue one half to the left-hand side of a face. Add a dragée for an earring.
9 Use the mini heart plunger to cut tiny red paste hearts. Attach to the centre of each girl’s smile.
10 Use a cocktail stick (toothpick) to indent holes on the boys’ chins for stubble and use the black edible pen to add a scar.
11 For the eyepatch, use the 1.4cm (5⁄8in) circle cutter to cut a black paste circle or roll a ball of black paste and flatten it. Trim off the top part and attach in place. Cut a narrow strip of the paste and glue over the headscarf for a strap.
Vary the drawn-on details for each pirate to give them individual personality.
Top each mini cupcake piped with a swirl of chocolate frosting with a gold foil-wrapped chocolate coin.
